A c27s02
Info Absolution (Summary - List of stories) . The Wounded Hawk << previous act | Act 3 of 4 | next act >> Locusts << previous chapter |''' Chapter 27 of 39 | next chapter >> << previous scene | '''Scene 2 of 2 | next scene >> Summary * Location: *Participants: *Time: *Summary: Text Sleipnir grunted as he ran onwards through the valley, never once stumbling over the terrain as Pinkamena ran at his side, cursing every now and then when she slipped on a rock or narrowly avoided a tree or bush. Behind them, Hevatica was following at a distance, struggling to keep up as she complained: "Not all of us are earth creatures here, you know!" "Then go incorporeal or something!" Pinkamena snapped back, before she grunted in surprise when Sleipnir skidded to a halt. She looked at him, opening her mouth... and when he quickly held up a hoof, she immediately fell silent, her usual mockery vanishing as her eyes became sharp and serious at the look on Sleipnir's face. She didn't speak, and neither did Hevatica as she managed to catch up to them, slipping a bit against the mossy rocks that made up the broken slope on this end of the vale. Around them, the trees creaked and groaned in the faint wind, and after her years with Sleipnir, Pinkamena could almost understand them, glancing towards the nearest gnarled oak... but then Sleipnir grasped her face gently, cupping along her cheekbone and tilting her head towards him, to guide her red-rimmed eyes into looking deep into his own chestnut. In his gaze, she saw a warning, an instruction, an oath... and slowly, Pinkamena nodded. Sleipnir smiled at her, nodding firmly in return, and then he turned and was gone in an instant: Pinkamena couldn't help but grin a little at the speed and sudden grace with which he moved, leaping over to a rocky, mauled cliff-face and ascending rapidly to the top. Both demons gazed up after Sleipnir, as the Kelpie said admiringly: "You're so fortunate, Devourer. The Heaven-sent looks so pretty in the fading light... it's like he was made for you." Pinkamena grunted, not answering as she glanced in the direction of the setting sun: the red hues that it cast over everything made the rocks around them look like they were soaked in blood, made the few twisted trees standing here and there seem black and distorted. The sky was like a crimson and purple wound, and Pinkamena licked her large teeth slowly as she muttered: "Well, Kelpie, I wouldn't go that far. If he was made just for me he wouldn't be such a stallion-whore." Hevatica only smiled slightly, however, then glanced up as Pinkamena's own blue eyes gazed apprehensively towards the clifftop that Sleipnir had vanished over... and the enormous earth pony himself was now standing on a high, square plateau that was covered in scraggly trees, like an island of earth that had been vomited up out of the valley on a pillar of uneven stone. He could feel nature's pain under his hooves, could sense her despair, and it filled him with concern: something wasn't right. He shook his mane of vines out, striding quickly through the trees before leaning carefully forwards through a bush as he reached the western edge of the plateau, and he frowned at what he saw. Something was strange up ahead... it looked like there was a flock of large birds flying all around the mountains in the distance near the Strange Ones' settlement, and there was a large, ugly hill he didn't remember ever seeing before, perhaps a few kilometers distant... before his sharp eyes widened as the mountain visibly moved. "That is no mountain..." Sleipnir whispered, and then he looked up in horror, at the darkening sky that was almost black with a flock of what couldn't be birds. Of what had to be something else... and Sleipnir hurriedly shook his head, whispering: "By Mimir's head... I... we'll have to make all haste back to warn Celestia, she'll know what to do... but by my Father's face, what in the name of all that is sacred could that thing be?" Sleipnir leaned forwards, trying to focus on the shape, but it was hard to make out: a good mile or so away, with the setting sun to its back, it was just a dark, moving blot profiled blackly in the red light... but he thought he saw huge claws, and a head, and a large, hunched and humped back, and- There was a shriek, and Sleipnir looked up almost too late before his eyes widened in shock as something insectile and putrid shot down towards him: at the same time, he heard the primal screams of other monsters as they eagerly attacked the demons below. Sleipnir leapt backwards, wincing as the monster tore through the brush, grabbing wildly at him... while below, Hevatica recoiled and Pinkamena only snarled in disgust as two more of the creatures landed in front of them, drooling green, viscous poison from their fang-filled maws. Their eyes glowed with baleful light, gray and black, ridged plates making up a chitinous hide that armored their bodies, bony talons flexing against the ground as segmented, whip-like tails snapped back and forth. Their dragonfly-like wings buzzed as one of them leaned forwards with a roar, the gnarled horn standing out of its head gleaming with a sickly green aura: but Pinkamena thought the idea of these insectoid monsters using magic seemed as farfetched as them deciding to have a pretty little tea party together. The other insect-beast's horn lit up in response to the first's, however, and when both turned and lunged straight at the Devourer demon, she grinned disgustedly as her twisted but analytical mind quickly put one and one together. Bet anything that's used for telepathy... Instead of letting them tackle her, Pinkamena leapt forwards, swinging both front hooves out to seize the tops of the monsters' skulls before she slammed both of the beasts face-first into the ground with squeals of pain. They both clawed wildly at the earth before yanking themselves backwards, and Pinkamena pursued the one closest to her aggressively, slamming a hoof up under its chin to knock it staggering and rearing back slightly before she leapt forwards and smashed her head into its face, sending the bug beast collapsing onto its side as it clawed and kicked wildly at the air. "Hevatica, deal with the other one!" "I'm afraid we have more guests!" Hevatica replied sharply, and Pinkamena growled in frustration as a loud buzzing filled the air, taking a short, sharp glance upwards to see two more of the insect monsters were eagerly flying down towards them. The demon cursed as she looked towards this, then she snarled at the two monsters that were already back on their claws, one rushing towards her- Pinkamena swept up a loose rock underhoof and smashed it under the bug creature's jaw, sending up a burst of green and black blood as the monster shrieked before the demon leapt forwards and roared as she windmilled her foreleg, putting all the strength she could into slamming the sharp, heavy stone viciously down into the skull of the monster. Its skull gave a satisfying crunch as it was knocked flat to the ground, horn sparking weakly once, but the monster beside it barely seemed to notice its companion's demise as it tackled the demon while she was still leaning over the corpse, knocking her onto her back as she lost her grip on the stone lodged in the shattered head of the other beast. She snarled as she felt herself crushed down beneath the monster as it pinned her, biting savagely at her neck, but she yanked her head hurriedly out of the way of its jaws before snapping her own fangs viciously up into its exposed throat, the insectile beast shrieking in pain. She twisted herself sideways, shoving up into its breast as it clawed wildly at the ground and tore rips in the sides of her forelegs and her shoulders, the demon rasping through the foul-tasting blood spilling into her mouth before she shoved upwards as she ripped her head to the side, spitting out a stream of black and green bile in disgust. The monster, meanwhile, staggered backwards with another gargling shriek, horn sparking before it collapsed weakly on its sides, claws still twitching once as Pinkamena winced and shoved herself up, grasping at one of her flayed-open shoulders. Hevatica had managed to pin one of the other monsters, her eyes glowing as she throttled it, the creature staring helplessly up at her as it whined and whimpered before one of the second wave bug-beasts shot in to tackle the Kelpie: but before it could, a limp body shot through the air like a meteor and slammed into the flying monster, knocking it from the sky and face-first into the base of a tree in a dazed heap, twitching weakly. A moment later, Sleipnir leapt down from the cliff above, running quickly forwards before snagging the vertebrae-like tail of the stunned bug-monster. He half-spun and flung it hard before it could regain its senses, sending the creature hurtling through the air to crash face-first into the rocky cliff-face, the monster colliding with a loud crack and falling limp. Sleipnir grimaced and shivered once at this, then he looked sharply over at Pinkamena, hurrying towards her as the last beast fell limp beneath Hevatica's cloven hooves. "Phoenix! Art thou alright?" "Better than you, Slippers." Pinkamena replied moodily as her wounds slowly began to patch themselves closed, and then she frowned and winced as distant, howling shrieks filled the air, muttering: "Oh hell. I guess it's true, for every one roach you see there's fifty more laying in wait." "Aye, these plague-beasts are many in number... and worse, I think I've set mine eyes upon the wretched bride of so-called Cancer. We must hasten out of here... Hevatica, thou should go immediately on ahead, tell Celestia of the threat we have encountered and that a titanic monstrosity is upon the march to Ponyville." Sleipnir ordered sharply, pointing in the direction of the village as the Kelpie nodded quickly. "I estimate 'twill take several days' time for the beast to cross this treacherous valley at the speed it moves, but we must not dally!" "Get your flank going, Hevatica. And check in on my daughter for me, make sure she's not doing anything stupid." Pinkamena added sharply, and Hevatica smiled a bit before she turned and burst into black smoke that shot up through the air before seeming to vanish completely from sight. For a few moments, Pinkamena only looked up after this... then she reached a hoof up and shoved it firmly against Sleipnir's lips before he could even open his mouth, saying icily: "If you tell me to go on ahead, I'm going to bite off your genitals and leave them here for the giant bugs to eat." Sleipnir only smiled, however, reaching up to gently take her front hoof between his own before he kissed it and replied softly: "Now that is an empty threat, sweet Phoenix, I'm fairly certain that is the one part of my body thou wouldst not do harm upon." Pinkamena smiled despite herself at this, eyes flicking towards him before she gave a slight nod, and the enormous stallion grunted and nodded in return. "But we must not dally, aye, we can continue our banter on the way. Mother Nature quakes and warns me there are countless vermin behind us, and I am not fond of bugs." "Me neither." Pinkamena grunted, turning to fall in pace with the enormous equine as they both hurried back the way they had come, the demon grimacing as she looked over her shoulder and added disgustedly: "And if those bastards can fly..." "Fear not, sweet phoenix. They shan't go far from what I fear more and more must be their monstrous mother... aye, I think I know what awful blight has occurred here, and if I can remember with all the holes in my head, then I am sure my big sister will no doubt figure it out as well." Sleipnir muttered, as they hurried down the rocks and past the scraggly trees, and Pinkamena shot him a sharp look. "I remember it because Luna spoke to me of a monster that could change its shape..." "And you'd remember that because it would be something you'd want to yank in the sack, so you could do dirty things to yourself." Pinkamena muttered, and Sleipnir only nodded seriously, the demon growling at him but a slight smile twitching at her mouth all the same. "Filthy narcissist." "Oh come now, given the same chance how many would turn such a chance away? Thou would certainly not." Sleipnir grinned toothily over at her, and Pinkamena resisted the urge to punch him before the enormous equine shook his head quickly, becoming serious once more. "Chrysalis, they called it... Changeling, I believe, they called her, called her 'Queen...' and now it seems that Cancer has gone and transformed her into a monarch of monsters. And those hideous things... they seem not like Changelings to me, but Nature whispers they seek, they hunt, they steal..." "Takers. Great." Pinkamena muttered, then she shook her head, features darkening as she followed Sleipnir's leap to a fallen tree that bridged a narrow creek. "Could really use Scrivener and Luna right about now... Scrivy would make up some fancy name for the bastards and we could use him as a meat-shield, and your baby sister could do what she does best and start murdering things..." "Aye, I miss them too. The pain never fades... but neither does the joy have to, Pinkamena, and the good memories are far stronger and more important than the pain." Sleipnir replied with a smile, even as Pinkamena snorted and blew back the waterfall of mane that obscured half her features. "And besides, phoenix, they shall return... jealous as I am of the damned poet for all his nonsense." "Yeah. I'm really going to kick the crap out of him." Pinkamena muttered, and Sleipnir chuckled as he turned his eyes back ahead, the two running sharply onwards before the demon growled to herself, looking moodily down at the uneven earth underhoof. "Feelings are stupid..." "Aye. But so am I, and thou loves me all the same." Sleipnir replied quietly, and Pinkamena snorted at this before the stallion cursed suddenly and looked sharply over his shoulder as they began to sprint through a short field. "Damned monsters!" Pinkamena shot a look back herself, then bared her fangs: at least a dozen monsters were flying towards them... and this time, among their number, she saw not only the smaller Takers, but much-larger, beetle-like entities that rumbled behind the main swarm on enormous wings, rippled, uneven shells glinting. She cursed under her breath, her own body shivering with the urge to fight even as the wounds that had healed to scratches on her shoulders pulsed as if warning caution... and then she looked sharply forwards as Sleipnir shouted: "Ahead!" Sleipnir was barreling towards a hole in the earth, and the demon groaned but followed close behind him, leaping after the stallion as he dove into the wide tunnel. She landed on top of him with a curse a moment after Sleipnir splashed down in an underground stream, and then she winced and seized into his neck with a yell of frustration, clinging to him as the gigantic earth pony shot forwards down the narrow passage beneath the earth. "Goddammit, Sleipnir!" "Hold fast, phoenix!" Sleipnir replied quickly, dodging around a wall of roots in the path as the scream of Takers behind them filled the tunnel, as the insectile monsters began to swarm in after them. Pinkamena shot a look over her shoulder, and snarled in disgust as she saw the horns of the bug-like beasts were casting a toxic glow that only made it all the more horrifying as they raced along walls, ceiling and through the shallow stream after the two ponies. Sleipnir ran forwards, making a short, sudden leap over a sinkhole hidden beneath the gurgling stream, his heavy hooves slamming along the side wall and kicking up dirt and rock before he threw himself forwards, neatly hopping across a large stone and into a curving offshoot. Behind them, the Takers continued to rush forwards, half-impeding each other before one screeched as it fell into the hidden sinkhole, lodging in the slimy sand and water as the rest of the insects mindlessly trampled the caught bug-beast, single-minded in their pursuit. Sleipnir, meanwhile, raced up the tunnel branch, then suddenly glanced up at a crack of light above before he grunted and threw himself upwards, seizing into several roots and hauling himself quickly into the narrow space above. Pinkamena cursed as she was crushed between loose soil, gravel, and the body of her husband, shouting curses in his ear as Sleipnir forcefully squeezed his huge body up into the opening before yelling as he launched himself upwards just as the Takers flooded into the tunnel below, the earth crumbling down in a thick hail of soil as Sleipnir's escape caused part of the tunnel to collapse. It disoriented the Takers, as they screamed and howled in frustration, clawing at the loose dirt pouring down over them ... and Sleipnir grinned slightly before he leapt backwards and slammed both front hooves hard against the ground, sending a tremor through the earth. It made the tunnel below shake violently, and Sleipnir roared as he slammed down into the ground again, and the unstable soil collapsed in a thick avalanche as the enormous earth pony quickly leapt away, burying the Takers beneath them in a prison of dirt that would take them quite a while to dig out of. Sleipnir grinned to himself, nodding with a pleased look as he backed away from the sunken sod and crumbled earth, a single Taker's claw uselessly sticking out of the ground and flailing around. The enormous earth pony turned, Pinkamena looking moody on his back, streaked with filth and dirt... and then both ponies stared as a massive, beetle-like monster crashed down in front of them, roaring through its dripping mandibles at them as its eyes glared at them with unintelligent fury beneath a tiara of blade-like horns. Its broad wings buzzed loudly before the huge, steel-like carapace on its back sealed closed: ugly barbs and sharp, rippled edges stuck up from the uneven shell here and there, and it had six squat legs beneath it that all ended in dangerous-looking hooked talons, Sleipnir giving the creature a look of disgust as he muttered: "Well. I suppose 'twas too easy, aye. Fly, phoenix!" And with that, Sleipnir leaned forwards and bucked hard, and Pinkamena grinned as she hauled herself upwards by Sleipnir's shoulders at the same time, launching herself off the enormous stallion in a straight tackle into the beetle's mutated, scaled face, knocking its head back as its mandibles clacked wildly. It reared back as Pinkamena jackknifed its head, seizing it by the horn and the side of the face as she yanked back and braced her rear hooves against the back of its shell, and the monster howled in frustration as its head was pulled back. The monster's squat legs clawed at the air as Sleipnir dropped low and shot forwards, then rammed his shoulder in a rising lunge into the monster's stomach, knocking it back and exposing the soft, writhing gray underbelly of the beast. The beetle howled, stumbling backwards on its two hind legs as its four other limbs writhed and flailed at the air before Sleipnir leaned forwards with a grimace and slammed a front hoof forwards: the punch was so fierce that it sent almost his entire front leg ripping into the monster's stomach, and the beetle howled as Sleipnir winced in disgust before leaping backwards and yanking his leg free in a burst of dark-colored blood and clearer juices. Pinkamena grinned as the creature writhed in pain, trying to bend forwards: but before it could, she kicked off it and dragged it forcefully backwards by the head. It squealed, then crashed down on its back as the half-demon hit the ground and rolled, her eyes blazing as she shouted: "Finish the goddamn thing off, you pansy!" Sleipnir only grumbled as he ran forwards, leaping above the beast as it convulsed on its back, legs clawing wildly at the air, then he crashed down on top of its breast, stomping both front hooves savagely downwards to crush in its frail chest. The beetle howled in misery and fury, eyes glaring out of its sockets as Sleipnir looked down at it with distaste, then shouted in frustration when the monster wrenched its head forwards and vomited out a blast of sticky green goo over the pony. It splashed over him, dripping down in thick ropes: but in literal moments the viscous goo hardened, and Sleipnir cursed in pain, the greenish, now rock-solid gunk burning where it clung to his body, cementing him in place on top of the beetle's chest. Pinkamena gritted her teeth as the beetle writhed once, drool dripping down its maw as it began to reach up with one limb... then the creature shivered before finally falling limp with a rasp, the light fading from its eyes. All the same, Pinkamena could hear a buzzing in the distance, and the howl of those monsters... could see the dirt shifting as Takers industriously tried to claw their way out of the soil. The demon grimaced up at Sleipnir, but the enormous stallion gritted his teeth before he grunted and threw his head back, flexing his body and shattering most of the greenish cement imprisoning him. He shook himself out with a curse of frustration, wincing as he ripped his hooves slowly free of the indents in the monster's body as Pinkamena grunted and jerked her head at him, saying mildly: "Fun as it is to see you beat on things and vice-versa, we better get out of here, Slippers. One-on-two might be fun but I'm guessing these things are trying to swarm us in numbers for a reason." Sleipnir grunted, grimacing as he shook his mane out before making a disgusted face as he realized the vines were saturated with greenish cement as well, grumbling under his breath before muttering: "Aye, thou speaks the truth, much as I wish to bring the wrath of Asgard down upon these living aspects of blight for the damage they have done to my pretty mane. We must fly from this place with all haste." Pinkamena nodded, then she frowned and tilted her head when Sleipnir gave a few small, whispery sneezes before shivering once, shaking his head out briskly. "Damnation! Let us move, and quickly at that, before my cold worsens." He began to run onwards, his hooves automatically finding the easiest path over the rough terrain as Pinkamena turned to follow after him, hesitating for only a moment before she asked in a quiet voice, her features softening for a moment: "You okay, Slap?" Sleipnir smiled softly over his shoulder at her, giving a brief nod as he replied quietly: "Thou only ever calls me that when thou art afraid for me, for whatever incredible reason I have earned for thou to care so deep upon the behalf of this foolish stallion... but of course, my darling. Fear not, the monsters merely carry some weaker form of Cancer's plague within their veins, and likely in that blasted goo I was showered with... we are not all so fortunate to be demons of Gluttony, sweet phoenix." Pinkamena closed her eyes, smiling softly... but a moment later, she glared ahead, snorting and running up beside the enormous stallion to firmly check him, saying irritably: "Then just don't slow me down too much with your stupid girly sneezes, got it? Besides, you and me should be able to make it back to Ponyville in a few hours instead of a few days, don't go disappointing me now." "Never! And they are not girly sneezes!" Sleipnir argued, and Pinkamena only gave him a dry look even as they weaved easily around the trunk of a burnt-down tree, then both leapt off the edge of a short cliff to land in the field below, turning their eyes ahead as they ran with all speed and strength towards Ponyville. Side-by-side, they shot forwards, Mother Nature seeming to guide their hooves as they moved like the wind, and even as their eyes looked ahead, the focus of the two was clearly on one-another, protecting and supporting each other in spite of how often they seemed at odds. Both only hoped that Hevatica had arrived at Ponyville with all haste... and that this awful swarm following behind the two ponies could be defeated, and the monstrous Queen that Sleipnir had only caught a glimpse of stopped before its hordes began to spread across all of Equestria. Category:Transcript Category:Story